“…that in all things He may have the preeminence.” Colossians 1:18
​A group of Theological students were given an assignment to rearrange the Ten Commandments in order of priority. There was general consensus that the most important commandments should be:“You shall not murder.” They also agreed that the second most important would be: “You shall not steal.” The third most important commandment was: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.”

However, there was a division as to which was the least important commandment. Half of the students felt that the least important commandment was: “You shall not commit adultery.” The other half selected “You shall have no other gods before Me” as the least significant. After some further discussion the class agreed to put the “You shall have no other gods before Me” as the least important of the Ten Commandments.

"Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made by corruptible man…who exchanged the Truth of God for the lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather that the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.” Romans 1:24-25

​​Throughout the Bible commandments and warnings against idolatry are the most repeated of all. There are more denunciations of idolatry than any other sin in the Bible.

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image…you shall not bow down to then nor serve them.” Exodus 20:4-6

“Do not turn to idols, nor make for yourselves molded gods; I am the Lord your God.” Leviticus 19:4

“You shall not take the Name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His Name in vain.” Exodus 20:7

​God’s people in the Old Testament understood what it meant to show reverence to God by honoring His Name. The scribes who copied the Scriptures by hand had many complex rules that enabled them to copy the Scriptures very carefully and accurately. ​

Words are very important. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1

 “Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy, six days you shall labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath Day and hallowed it.” Exodus 20:8-11

Frenzied and Frantic
It would appear that never before in history have so many people been so busy. No other generation has had so many labour-saving and time saving devices, and yet it would appear that our generation is one of the most rushed and frantic generations in all of history.

One would have thought that with our electricity and plumbing, refrigerators, stoves, kettles, microwaves, dishwashing machines, clothes washing machines, vacuum cleaners, drive-through car washes, personal computers, laptops, Blackberry’s, cell phones, and every other kind of labour and time saving device, that we would be less rushed and have more free time.

“Honour your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.” Exodus 20:12
The first four Commandments deal with our duty to God. The last six Commandments deal with our duty to man.

Our Lord Jesus Christ summarised the two tablets of the Law when He answered the question concerning which is the greatest Commandment. Jesus said: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great Commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the prophets.’” Matthew 22:36-40

 “You shall not murder.” Exodus 20:13
If there is one Commandment, which the majority of people think they have never transgressed, it is the Sixth Commandment. Murder is considered to be a minority crime.

​Yet as Christ taught us in the Sermon on the Mount, hatred is also a breach of this Commandment. In fact as one considers the fullest implications of the Sixth Commandment and the family of offences that it covers, this is a most relevant Commandment for this murderous age.

“Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He made man.”Genesis 9:6

“For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery...” Isaiah 61:8
The Eighth Commandment cuts across the thieving spirit of our age.

​Shocking Statistics
Recent surveys have found that three out of ten prospective employees admit to having stolen from their previous employer!

22% of workers feel that stealing from their company is “sometimes justified.”
33% of employees surveyed confessed to falsely phoning in sick and collecting pay for days they pretended to be sick, but weren’t.

One third of college students admitted that they would cheat on an exam if they were sure that they could get away with it. One in seven graduates default on their university loans.

God is Truth.  Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  God’s Word is Truth. “You shall know the Truth and the Truth shall set you free.” John 8:32

​St. Augustine had a sign on his desk that declared: “Whosoever enters this office to bring an accusation against his brother will be ushered out of this room.”  Augustine took the Ninth Commandment seriously.  He declared “The tongue inflicts greater wounds than the sword.”

The Greatest Injury
The great Reformer, John Calvin declared: “No greater injury can be inflicted upon men than to ruin their reputation.”

​As Mark Twain observed: “A lie can travel halfway across the world while the truth is still getting its boots on!”  That was before the advent of e-mail.  Now a lie can go several times around the world before truth gets its boots on!

You shall not covet your neighbour’s house; you shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbour’s.”  Exodus 20:17

​Covetousness is a root sin.  The Bible records how King Saul was jealous of David’s success and coveted the praise and honour which David received for his victories (1 Samuel 18:6-8). As a result King Saul plotted to murder David.

King David coveted the wife of his neighbour Uriah. He committed adultery with Bathsheba and then connived to have Uriah killed to cover up his sin (2 Samuel 11:1-27).